Rubber heel



Patented Oct. 18, 1938 UNITED STATES RUBBER HEEL Laurence M. Oakley, Trenton, N. J., assignor to Essex Rubber Company, Trenton, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application July 22, 1937, Serial No. 155,012

5 Claims.

This invention relates to rubber heels, and i pertains more particularly to so-called blind nailing heels, that is, heels in which there are no nail holes in the front or tread face of the 5 heel.

In the manufacture of conventional rubber heels, the nail washers are supported, during the molding operation, on pins which penetrate the tread face of the heel, so that when the heel is l extracted from the mold, the pins leave holes through which nails are driven to attach the heel to the shoe. Because of the unsightly appearance of such holes, and because, since the development of automatic nailing machines, such l holes are unnecessary as nail guides, blind nailing heels have become increasingly demanded by the trade; and this demand has been met by the manufacture of heels in which the customary washers are replaced by an insert of material Such as plywood, ber or wire mesh which provides a suitable anchorage for the nails.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a heel of the blind nailing type, but in which the usual washers are used as the nail anchoring means.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

A preferred embodiment of the invention selected for purposes of illustration is shown in the accompanying drawing, in which,

Figure l is a perspective view of a heel (rear or attaching face uppermost),

Figure 2 is an enlarged side elevation of a washer pin and washer (in section),

Figures 3 and 4 are sections through a mold, Figure 3 being in process of assembly, and Figure 4 being assembled.

In the manufacture of heels with washers, it will be obvious that the washer pins must be placed in the lower or base plate of the mold; otherwise the washers could not be retained thereon. Accordingly, in molding conventional heels, the tread face of the heel was in contact with and formed by the base plate and the attaching face of the heel was in contact with and formed by the upper or cover plate. Referring to the drawing, and particularly to Figures 3 and 4, it will be observed that the conventional practice is reversed, in that the tread face I of the heel 2 is in contact with and formed by the cover plate 3 of the mold and the attaching face 4 of the heel is in contact with and formed by the base plate 5. Consequently, since the washer pins 6 are placed, as usual, in the base plate 5, they penetrate the attaching face of the heel rather than the tread face thereof. However, the washers 1, which are usually conical in shape, must be inverted (as compared with their usual position on the pins) in order that the bases of the cones may be adjacent the tread surface for 5 proper reception of the nails.

Because of this inversion of the washers, means are provided to prevent them from being tilted or otherwise displaced by the raw rubber bisquit as the mold is closed. For this purpose, each of the pins 6 is provided with means to engage and support the under surface of its washer to hold it against displacement, In the preferred embodiment illustrated the pins comprise a base portion 8 which is embedded in the plate 5 and a shank portion 9 to receive the washer, and a series of integral prongs l0 project outwardly and upwardly at an angle which causes them to lie substantially parallel to the conical walls of the washer. The ends of the prongs terminate substantially even with the rim of the washer. In this manner the washers are supported firmly by the prongs until the mold is closed.

When the mold is opened the heels are extracted as usual, the rubber surrounding the prongs being sufliciently yielding to permit easy withdrawal.

It will be understood that the invention may be variously modified and embodied within the scope of the subjoined claims.

I claim as my invention:

i1. A rubber heel mold comprising a base plate and a cover plate, said plates being spaced to provide a heel cavity therebetween, a washer pin supported in said base plate and extending into said cavity, and a plurality of prongs extending outwardly and upwardly from said pin for engaging the under surface of a washer to support said washer against tilting on said pin.

2. A heel washer pin comprising a base portion adapted to be embedded in a mold plate, a shank portion extending upwardly from the base portion and adapted to receive a washer, and a plurality of prongs extending outwardly and upwardly from said base portion and joined to said base portion adjacent said shank portion.

3. A rubber heel mold comprising a base plate and a cover plate, said plates being spaced to provide a heel cavity therebetween, a washer pin comprising a base portion embedded in the base plate, a shank portion extending upwardly from the base portion and adapted to receive a washer, and a plurality of prongs extending outwardly and upwardly from said base portion and joined to said base portion adjacent said shank portion. 55

l0 and a cover plate, said plates being spaced to provide a heel cavity therebetween, a washer pin having a base portion supported in said base plate, and means extending outwardly and upwardly from said pin for engaging the under surface of an inverted conical Washer to support said Washer against tilting on said pin, said means being joined to said pin immediately adjacent the point where said pin enters said base plate.

LAURENCE M. OAKLEY. 

